Are you a writer? If so, we are sure nothing is more frustrating for you than staring at a blank page, trying to open the knots of your story plots. The plot feels tangled, or the characters seem to lack depth. At that point, all you wish for is to brainstorm like a pro and map out the stories in a way that can end their creativity block. Story mind maps are the secret weapon for writers! Unlike boring outlines, mind maps are like a visual spark. They let you brainstorm freely, connecting characters, twists, and the entire story arc on a single page. This article will tell you all the ins and outs of a story mind map and how to create one using an online tool.
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Story Mind Map Examples
Story mind maps are visual tools that help writers brainstorm, organize, and develop their stories nonlinearly. Simply put, they are like spiderwebs, where your story's central idea is in the middle and multiple branches radiate outwards. The branches connect the core story to key elements, such as characters, plots, themes, settings, or potential twists and conflicts.
EdrawMind is an online tool, that lets writers create their story mind maps. A wide range of templates are available that writers can use as a foundation for their story mind maps. Let’s look at some.
Template 1
This is a pre-made story mind map template available on EdrawMind. Here’s a breakdown of the different elements and how they’re used:
There is a central topic, and the story divisions branch out from it. This divides the story into beginning, middle, and closing.
Then there are the sub-branches. These smaller branches stem from the main branches and provide more detail about each element in every story stage. For example, a character branch might have sub-branches for the character’s name, traits, motivations, and goals. Utilizing mind maps like these is crucial if you want to enhance your creativity and discover new ideas for your story. They are an incredibly effective tool that allows you to connect ideas visually and explore different possibilities easily.
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Template 2
This is another story mind map template from the EdrawMind templates gallery. It is a story titled “The Endless Story”. The titles remain in the center from which the main branches radiate. These branches are of characters, setting, problem, and outcome. From these main branches, sub-branches radiate. These are smaller branches that provide more detail about each main element. The first set of sub-branches radiating from the character branch gives the characters' names in the story. The next set of sub-branches can provide details of individual characters, their traits, and their role in the story.
You can use this template to create a mind map for your story. You can easily customize it and adjust it according to the plot of your story.
How to Make a Mind Map on EdrawMind?
Before you get started, ensure that you have downloaded the EdrawMind desktop version from the official website. Once you have launched the software, you can log in to your Wondershare ID. Alternatively, you can also access the software using your social media account login credentials.
Step 1: Once you have set up the EdrawMind’s app. Click on the Gallery option. Use Immediately. Doing this will open the template's components in the editing panel.
Step 2: To find a story mind map in the MindMap Gallery, use the Search bar at the top. Search story mind maps, all the available templates will show up. You can browse through all the available free templates to choose one that suits your preferences. Once you've found the right template, simply click on Duplicate to instantly duplicate the entire content to your EdrawMind canvas.
Step 3: Once you have imported the built-in template to your mind map canvas, start adding the necessary topics, subtopics, and categories to your story map. You can use EdrawMind's customization features to add different boundaries or summaries to different categories, which will help you create a comprehensive and organized mind map.
Step 4: EdrawMind has a wide variety of customization options. You can customize your font, boxes, boundaries, colors, connectors, etc to customize your mind map as per your requirements. You can even add images to your mind map to make it more personalized and increase its visual appeal.
Step 5: There is EdrawMind's Relationship feature. Using that you can link up topics and sub-topics and see how they relate to each other. It's a great way to connect the relating topics and ignite inspiration to see what other relationships can be developed.
Step 6: When adding images, you can make use of EdrawMind’s generative AI technology - Edraw AI, which gives you AI generated content as per the prompt you give to it.
Step 7: Once you are done customizing your mind map of story, you can export your mind map. The best part is that it lets you export your final story mind map in various formats like pdf, slides, excel, html, etc.
Benefits of Story Mind Maps
There are a lot of benefits to using story mind maps. They increase the efficiency and effectiveness of building your narration. Let’s look at what other benefits they offer:
- Complex stories with multiple characters and deep plotlines can sometimes be overwhelming. Story mind maps help you organize your plot clearly.
- You can spark new plot twists and overcome your writer's block in a flash by visually connecting ideas.
- Story mind maps help you develop well-rounded characters by delving deeper into their backstories, motivations, and connections with other plot elements.
- The visual nature of mind maps boosts memory and recalling power, making it easier to recall and picture details when writing.
- Story mind maps offer a nonlinear approach to developing story outlines. This approach has been proven to offer a more natural flow in the plot.
- Story mind maps help you visualize your story world, especially in the case of fantasy or sci-fi stories. You can easily brainstorm locations, creatures, and structures, making images part of your story mind map.
What Is Wondershare EdrawMind?
If you are someone who struggles to organize your thoughts and ideas visually, then EdrawMind is for you. EdrawMind is a user-friendly mind map maker that enables individuals of any experience level to explore and unlock their creative potential.
It is a visual brainstorming powerhouse that has everything you need! It comes with pre-built templates, is super easy to use with drag-and-drop functionality, and has a vast library of designs. Plus, with AI assistance, the process is made even easier, and anyone can use it, regardless of their technical expertise.
Key features
Let’s have a look at some of EdrawMind's key features:
- User-friendly interface: It uses drag-and-drop functionality, which makes creating and organizing mind maps of any kind a piece of cake.
- Vast symbol library: They have a huge variety of pre-made symbols for various concepts. It saves you a lot of time when searching for different symbols outside the app.
- Customizable templates: It has various pre-made mind map templates for different purposes. You just need to explore and jump-start your project right away.
- Collaborative feature: It offers a real-time collaboration feature, which lets you work seamlessly with others online, share your mind map, and receive instant feedback.
- Visually appealing mind maps:It also lets you incorporate different images and colors into your mind maps, enhancing visual appeal and boosting memory recall.
- Accessibility: It is easily accessible for everyone. A free version of EdrawMind lets you experiment with mind mapping.
- AI assistance: With the inclusion of AI-powered assistance, users can now seamlessly generate text and create mind maps, making the process more efficient and effective.
- Working mode: EdrawMind presents different working modes to cater to various users such as mind map, outline, and presentation mode. These modes enable users to take notes, brainstorm, or display their work.
Reasons to try
There are various reasons to try EdrawMind for your mind-mapping tasks. These reasons are as follows:
- Simple and effective: This tool is extremely simple yet offers advanced features that make your working process effective.
- Affordability: EdrawMind is the way to go if you want an affordable mind-mapping tool. Their pricing plans are pocket-friendly when compared to competitors. They offer a free plan with basic features, perfect for individual users and small teams.
- Ultimate productivity: It makes things easier by allowing everyone to work together on one project. This way you don't waste time fiddling around with updates or getting lost in confusing structures, boosting productivity.
- Work efficiently: IEdrawMind makes creating mind maps super easy with AI integration. It saves you loads of time and helps you work more efficiently.
Conclusion
By now, we are sure you are familiar with all the secrets of story mind maps and EdrawMind's power. Now is the time to explore your inner storyteller. Bid farewell to writer’s block, endless scribbles, and tangled plot threads. Grab your smart device and fire up EdrawMind using visual brainstorming. We hope this guide was helpful to you. Happy mapping!
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